Euro NCAP puts 'annoying' ADAS in crosshairs

You whinged, they listened - new safety tests coming 'more representative of real-world environment'

By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 26 November 2025 / Loading comments

No new car can escape the blight that is driver assistance. The original intention was laudable - using technology to minimise the chances of crashing - but the integration has been so clumsy in some cases that it’s become a real bugbear. Moreover, as well as acting like the most paranoid of helicopter parents, a good few systems are overly tricky to turn off. Which, ironically enough, is when drivers are probably most distracted and likely to crash these days.

The obsession with burying substandard safety features in layers and layers of menus has become such a problem that Euro NCAP has finally deemed it worthy of attention. You know it’s a safety concern when it’s on their radar, especially when it features in the biggest shakeup of its testing and regs since 2009. This will introduce new guidance from next year designed to, amongst other things, make sure ADAS works in the real world and not just the lab. Which could ultimately mean the return of important features to actual buttons, and not irritating sub-menus.

Get yourself comfy for a surprisingly sensible statement from a large automotive corporation. ‘Several changes to Euro NCAP’s testing programme have been made in response to consumer feedback. Driver assistance systems, which have faced criticism for annoying warnings or intrusive interventions, will be evaluated not only on their crash-prevention abilities on the test track, but also during real-world driving, with the aim of improving consumer acceptance.’ You have to question why this wasn’t a consideration in the first place, given drivers only use their cars in the real world rather than the test track, but late is ultimately better than never.

In terms of the actual Euro NCAP test, the assessment now takes place over four ‘key stages of safety’, which are safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety, all scored out of 100. Stuff like lane assist and speed warnings will come under the first two stages; they will be rated on the ‘smoothness and intuitiveness of operation in everyday testing’, with new test scenarios to more accurately reflect where cars are driven. Unobtrusive systems will do well, ‘addressing concerns about intrusive or unpredictable interventions.’ Encouragingly, Euro NCAP’s test protocols will now be updated every three years, to better keep track of the pace of development.

That’s not the end of entirely sensible and rational stuff coming from Belgium, either: ‘New assessments of the human–machine interface (HMI) are introduced, evaluating the placement, clarity, and ease of use of essential controls — including the availability of physical buttons for commonly used functions, which consumer feedback suggests can reduce distraction.’ If a car is going to be marked down from next year for how simple it is to use, then you can bet on one or two interior rethinks in the near future. Especially with so many of the worst offenders, as far as poorly integrated tech goes, among family-focused cars - where a Euro NCAP score definitely still holds sway. First, it was steering locks back to deter thieves, now physical buttons could be back on dashboards; before you know it air fresheners will be back dangling from mirrors and it really will be 1997 all over again.

Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s General Secretary, said: “The 2026 protocols further strengthen the rigour and relevance of our tests, rewarding vehicles that perform well across all stages of safety - before, during, and after a crash. The updates to protocols ensure that Euro NCAP’s testing, analysis, and ratings remain the definitive guide for consumers who value an impartial guide to the safety of the latest cars.” Which sounds like good news for all of us - especially if it does away with infernal screen-based afterthoughts.